"Grandpa, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Yang Chang'an hurried over, looking at Yang Wushuang's grim face.
Yang Wushuang raised his head and gave Yang Chang'an a long, searching look. He was silent for several seconds before lowering his voice and asking, word by word:
"Chang'an, tell Grandpa the truth. Have you gotten to know someone outside?"
Yang Chang'an froze at the question. His grandfather never asked things like that.
The Yang Family's position was sensitive, and they were already ostracized in Spirit City. Few people were willing to associate with them sincerely, so the Yang and Niu families usually kept to their own circle.
That was why Yang Wushuang's greatest concern had always been whether he had stirred up trouble outside or offended anyone.
Yet today, his grandfather had suddenly asked whether he had gotten to know someone.
Yang Chang'an's mind turned, and he immediately understood. Yue Guan must have said something to his grandfather just now. Putting that together with what Fifth Uncle had said earlier, everything became clear: he probably could no longer keep Fifth Uncle a secret.
At this point, continuing to hide it would only make his grandfather worry more, and might even lead him to make the wrong decision.
Yang Chang'an drew a deep breath and decided to stop hiding it. He spoke honestly:
"Grandpa, I did meet an elder outside. He told me to call him Fifth Uncle..."
Then he explained everything in full: how he had met Fifth Uncle, how he had deliberately worked to build a good relationship with him, and his guesses about Fifth Uncle's identity. Of course, he also included Fifth Uncle's intention to recommend him for training at the Worship Hall, followed by a visit to the Purple Glory Training Camp for an "exchange."
Yang Wushuang sat in his chair and listened quietly, but the more he heard, the tighter his brows drew together.
A white-haired youth, restless and playful...
A Soul Master with that appearance, who was also a Titled Douluo, was exceedingly rare across the entire Douluo Continent.
He mentally went through every Spirit Hall powerhouse he had met or heard about during his five years in Spirit City, but none matched.
Then, all of a sudden, Yang Wushuang's expression changed sharply!
A memory he had buried for decades abruptly surfaced from the depths of his mind!
It was not someone he had seen in Spirit City, but someone from a great battle more than thirty years ago before Clear Sky Mountain, between Clear Sky Douluo Tang Chen and Spirit Hall's Great Enshrined, Qian Daoliu!
That day, he had seen from afar a young man with an exceptionally distinctive air and striking appearance among the enshrined following Qian Daoliu.
White hair, handsome features, seemingly young-his appearance was exactly as Yang Chang'an had described!
The man's appearance had been so unusual that he had specifically asked his father about him back then. Now it seemed that he was the one Yang Chang'an had met.
Spirit Hall's Fifth Enshrined-Light Feather Douluo!
An old monster who truly stood at the very pinnacle of Spirit Hall, a supreme powerhouse at the Peak Douluo level!
So it was him!
Seeing Yang Wushuang's expression, Yang Chang'an knew that he had probably guessed Fifth Uncle's identity. He asked curiously, "Grandpa, do you know who Fifth Uncle is?"
Yang Wushuang fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. But he did not directly name Light Feather Douluo. Instead, he cautioned solemnly:
"Since he doesn't want to tell you his identity himself, don't keep asking. When the time comes, he'll tell you in person."
Yang Chang'an understood that his grandfather had concerns and could not say more. He could only swallow the questions on the tip of his tongue and nod obediently:
"I understand, Grandpa."
Yang Wushuang's expression eased a little, but his next words brought the tension straight back to its peak.
He fixed his eyes on Yang Chang'an's, his voice frighteningly stern as he asked, stressing every word:
"Chang'an, Grandpa has one final question for you."
"His Holiness the Pope wants you to enter the Purple Glory Training Camp, while your Fifth Uncle wants you to go to the Worship Hall."
"Tell me-which side do you want to choose?"
On one side, Pope Bibi Dong had personally named him; on the other, the Worship Hall had extended an olive branch.
One wrong step, and the entire Yang Family would be wiped out.
"The Worship Hall," Yang Chang'an answered almost without hesitation.
Yang Wushuang remained expressionless and calmly pressed him:
"Why? The Purple Glory Training Camp is personally overseen by the Pope. Enter it, and your future will be limitless. Why choose the Worship Hall?"
Yang Chang'an drew a deep breath and met his grandfather's gaze without the slightest evasion:
"Grandpa, I already thought everything through while I was outside."
"Given our family's current situation, we can't afford to offend either side. Since we can't afford to offend either, there's no way to please them both. We can only give up on one and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the other."
Yang Wushuang said evenly, "Since you know we can't afford to offend either side, why would you deliberately abandon one?"
Yang Chang'an recalled all the scheming and intrigue he had seen in his previous life, and his voice was firm:
"Neutrality is a game only the strong have the right to play. Our Yang Family has no right to remain neutral!"
"We can only attach ourselves completely to one side, survive under the shelter of their might, and then think about the future."
Yang Wushuang's eyes shifted slightly. Though his face remained impassive, a trace of approval quietly appeared in his gaze.
"Go on."
Yang Chang'an lowered his head and considered his words before continuing, "We've already had ties with the Worship Hall for a long time. As the saying goes, 'Loyalty that isn't absolute is absolute disloyalty.'"
"If we try to have a foot in both camps, we'll end up pleasing neither, and both sides will turn on us together. Rather than that, we should stand firmly with the Worship Hall from the very beginning."
He paused, then voiced the most practical point of all: "Besides, the Worship Hall is stronger!"
Having read the original work thoroughly, Yang Chang'an knew that for the next fifteen years, the Worship Hall would hold an absolutely dominant position over Bibi Dong. Fifteen years would at least allow the Yang Family to establish a firm foothold in Spirit Hall before planning anything else.
Of course, there was another reason: unlike that madwoman, the Worship Hall had a bottom line. At the very least, they would not die without even knowing why.
Once he finished speaking, the tension that had remained on Yang Wushuang's face vanished completely, and a smile spread across it.
In truth, Yang Chang'an had not needed to say any of this. The moment Yue Guan told him that Yang Chang'an had ties to the Worship Hall, Yang Wushuang had already made his choice.
Just as his grandson had said, loyalty that was not absolute was absolute disloyalty.
Since the Yang Family lacked the means to remain neutral, their only choice was to stake everything on a single throw.
Looking at his grandfather's smile, Yang Chang'an felt the heart that had been hanging in suspense finally drop back into place with a clunk.
"Grandpa, you... you agree?!"
Yang Wushuang nodded.
And he had another, deeper consideration behind his choice of the Worship Hall.
After all these years, the Worship Hall had probably mastered the method of producing Seven-Colored Splendor completely.
In other words, the Yang Family no longer had much value to offer. Add Spirit Hall's earth-shaking scheme to that...
If they did not hurry to cling to the strongest leg they could find, the Yang Family truly had little time left.
At that thought, the smile instantly disappeared from Yang Wushuang's face, and his gaze turned incredibly stern as he looked at Yang Chang'an.
"The leave you were promised is canceled!"
"Huh?"
"Starting tomorrow, all your training will be increased by another twenty percent!"
If they wanted to survive the contest between the Worship Hall and the Papal Hall, merely choosing a side would not be enough.
Only strength of their own was true strength.
Yang Chang'an froze at first, then immediately straightened his back and answered loudly:
"Yes! Your grandson understands!"
From the moment he chose to stand with the Worship Hall, he no longer had the right to slack off.
On the road ahead, he could only charge forward with his life on the line.
From this moment on, the Yang Family's fate was staked entirely on the Worship Hall.